A Night to Remember
by proudveggie
Summary: Owen/Tosh fic, bit of Jack/Ianto slash. It was originally going to be really short, but I couldn't stop writing so now it's in chapters. Set before all the tragic events of Series 2. Disclaimer: I don't own the show or the characters...I wish I did...
1. Chapter 1: The Night Begins

My first fanfic, so constructive criticism is welcome. But please try and be nice. It was originally going to be reasonably short, but I couldn't stop writing. It's in chapters, but I'll need to be told how well it works. R&R please.

**Disclaimer:** I don't own any of it. Everything belongs to that lovely man, Russell T Davies.

* * *

It had been a mistake. A stupid, drunken mistake. A one-time-only deal. He had to keep telling himself that. He wasn't sure if he quite believed it but that's why he had to try and convince himself. But as he watched her walk across to her desk, sit down and begin typing furiously, a biro clamped between her lips, he knew it wasn't true. 

The night had started innocently enough. The team had had a tough day, involving a trek through Cardiff's sewers in search of an injured Weevil. As soon as the clock back at the Hub hit 5 o'clock, Jack announced that enough was enough, they'd been hard at work since 4:30 am, and that they were going for drinks.

"First round's on me," he said, picking up his coat. No one was about to argue with that so ten minutes later, they set out for a bar in the city centre, one of their favourite haunts.

Jack and Ianto were getting the seventh round in and Tosh had gone outside for some air, when Gwen's mobile beeped. She glanced at the display and sighed. Then she flipped open her phone and tried to show some enthusiasm.

"Hi Rhys!" she trilled in a voice laden with false cheeriness. "No, no, I don't know when I'll be home…sorry sweetheart…I got a call off an old friend from uni whose in town for a couple of nights, so I met up with her for a catch-up…her name?...It's, erm, Jodie. Have I never mentioned Jodie? I'm sure I have…anyway, she's coming back with the drinks so I'd better go…talk to you later…yes, I love you too…bye now!"

Owen looked at her sceptically. "You're too good at that. It's not a healthy relationship if you find it so easy to lie to him."

Gwen's face flushed. "I don't think you're in any position to judge other people's relationships, Mr Can't-Stay-With-One-Girl-For-Two-Consecutive-Nights," she hissed maliciously.

It was like a punch in the stomach, but Owen wouldn't let her know how deeply that comment hurt him. He put on a cocky sneer.

"I pity you Gwen. Alright, so I don't have a great track record as far as commitment goes but at least I'm not throwing my life away, settling down with one person. Especially when that 'one person' is someone I have repeatedly lied to and cheated on, and who I'm only marrying out of a mixture of pity and insecurity. You're as bad as me Gwen. At least I upfront about my inability to commit. You can't even admit what you are."

"And what am I?" Gwen asked in a voice that suggested more confidence then she felt.

"A lying, cheating little slag! Remember Gwen, I know you better than anyone else. You'll never admit it, but I do."

Gwen felt…strange. She should hate Owen for all the things he was saying, but she couldn't. As she looked at the mouth that had seconds before been spitting insults at her, the only thing she wanted to do was kiss those full lips. The angry passion burning in his eyes was exciting and made her want him all the more. She took a deep breath to steady herself and desperately tried to control her lust.

"Well if that's the case, do you know what you are? A self-centred, arrogant, egotistical bastard with an unfeasibly small – "

She was cut off by Jack and Ianto's return. Owen took his pint from Ianto and downed half of it in one go.

"Wow, someone's thirsty," Jack commented as he sat down. Owen drained his glad and stood up.

"I need a piss," he announced coldly and stalked off. Jack turned to Gwen.

"Right, what did you say?"

Gwen looked stunned. "What?"

"We all know Owen. We all know his little mood swings. And we all know that the only people who can ever piss him off _that_ much, are you and Ianto. As Ianto was at the bar with me, it must have been you. What did you say?"

"He started it!" Gwen hadn't realised how childish that would sound until she'd said it. She took a deep breath. "He made a crack about Rhys and the wedding. OK, I might've said some stuff that was uncalled for, but so did he."

Jack sighed wearily.

"Gwen, Owen is always going to wind you up about something. You need to learn to control your quick temper and your sharp tongue. I can't have you at each other's throats 24/7," He laughed sardonically. "God, I sound like an over-worked parent!"

Ianto took his hand under the table and gently stroked the palm with his thumb. This always made Jack feel calmer.


	2. Chapter 2: The Night Progresses

An hour and a half later, the Torchwood team decided to call it a night. There had been an awkward tension ever since Gwen and Owen's little dispute and eventually it became too much to bear. They left the bar and went their separate ways; Jack and Ianto back to the Hub, Gwen in the direction of her flat. Owen and Tosh were left alone. Jack had given them the next day off and Owen had no intention of going back to the cold, empty flat he called home…at least, not alone. His plan was to get utterly smashed and cop off. But then he looked across at Tosh, who was meandering slowly towards the nearest bus stop. She sighed as she sat on the little yellow bench. He hesitated, then approached her.

"Hey Tosh, do you fancy staying in town for a bit? I'm not going home yet and I was wondering…wondering, if you'd like to keep me company…" he asked, reluctantly. Tosh looked wary.

"Are you sure? I mean, you could've asked Gwen to stay…"

Owen flinched. "No, she has to get home to her precious fiancé. Anyway, I thought maybe we could spend some time to getting to know each other a bit better. I mean, we've working together for years and I know we don't get along too well, but…I don't know…" He trailed off. It was probably just the amount of alcohol he had consumed, but for some reason he wanted to get along with Tosh. It could be because Gwen had dented his confidence earlier on in the evening and he needed some reassurance that he wasn't an utter prick. And he knew that Tosh would never say hurtful things. She fancied him too much for that.

Tosh looked up at him. His face was half lit by the orange glow of a streetlamp but she could make out a sort of pleading in his eyes. It was the first time in years that Owen had shown any kind of interest in her, a moment she's hoped and prayed for…and now she was unsure?

"Yeah, why not? I don't really want to go home yet and we could do with learning a bit more about each other," she said casually. She didn't mention that she could easily write a book of everything she already knew about Owen, from the way he wrinkled his nose when he was confused to the triumphant grin he had when a job was done well. Every little thing was etched into her memory from years and watching and dreaming and finally, _finally_, he was ready to connect with her as a person. On the inside, she was ecstatic, but her exterior remained calm and collected. Owen smiled at her and she smiled back.

They spent several hours trawling round every bar Owen knew in Cardiff city centre. And Owen knew almost every bar there was within a ten-mile radius. They drank and talked and drank and laughed and drank and drank and drank. Tosh could hold her drink a lot better than Owen had expected, although she got slightly more giggly with each cocktail he bought for her. Eventually, they gave up. The only places they hadn't been were run-down and seedy-looking. Generally, this is where Owen would end his night. But tonight he was with Tosh, and he had to look out for her. Owen went to get a taxi while Tosh sat on a bench, trying to subdue the nausea rising inside her.

"Tosh! I've got you a taxi!" Owen called from further along the road. Tosh got unsteadily to her feet and tottered towards him. As she approached him, she lost her footing and fell into his arms. They stayed there for longer than was probably necessary, gazing at each other. Then slowly, ever so slowly, their lips got closer and closer together…

The next thing she knew, Tosh was falling through the front door of Owen's flat. As soon as they were inside, Owen slammed the door and they were plunged into darkness. His lips met hers as he pressed her up against the wall. He felt for the light switch and they both blinked when the lights came on. Owen began to kiss down Tosh's neck and along her shoulder as he unbuttoned her blouse and let it drop to the floor. Their lips locked again as they collapsed onto the couch. Tosh helped Owen take off his T-shirt, and then lay back as he gently kissed down her stomach, hands fumbling to remove her belt…


	3. Chapter 3: The Morning After

The next morning, Tosh woke up hungover and confused. Her head was pounding and as she tried to sit up, the room was spinning. An unfamiliar room, she noticed. The bed was unfamiliar too. She looked down. She was wearing a man's T-shirt and nothing else. A movement next to her was the first time she realised that she wasn't alone. She turned slowly and had to restrain herself from screaming. Her memories of the night before were still very hazy and the last person she'd expected to see in bed with her, absolutely naked, was Owen.

"Shit," she murmured. Then again. "Shit!"

As carefully and as quietly as she could, Tosh slid herself out of bed and padded across to the bathroom. The mirror showed a woman she didn't know; hair tousled, makeup smeared, cheeks flushed. From the bedroom she could hear Owen stirring. They'd both had a lot to drink last night. How would he react when he found her here, in place of the customary fake-tanned, big-boobed good-time girl? Only time would tell. She braced herself and walked back into the bedroom.

"Good morning, gorgeous," Owen said sleepily into the pillow as he heard the movement by the door.

"Good morning Owen," Tosh said in the nearest thing to a normal tone that she could muster.

"Tosh?" Owen sounded suddenly more awake, and rolled over. "Tosh!" He grabbed a pillow to cover his modesty.

"Don't bother Owen. I saw it all last night," Tosh quipped. Although exact details of the night before were still a blur she could guess the general gist of proceedings.

"Shit," Owen murmured. "Shit!"

Tosh nodded, deliberately not looking at him. This was the least expected outcome of the evening before, but almost definitely the most preferable as far as she was concerned. She was a little disappointed by Owen's reaction, although she had expected it. She covered this well, faffing around, finding her clothes and carefully not looking towards the bed. Owen was sat up, rubbing his head as the customary hangover kicked in.

Tosh left the bedroom in search of her bra and heard her mobile ringing. She found her handbag and dug out the source of the bleeping. She checked the display and flipped the phone open.

"Hi Jack…erm, what do you want?" she said, perching on Owen's coffee table and putting her head in one hand.

"There've been some weird readings from that tech scan you did yesterday. I don't think it's anything major but I think you should check it out, just in case. Can you get here as soon as possible? Just take a look, so we can decide if it's a whole-team job or something that can be sorted quickly."

Tosh's head was throbbing. She glanced up and saw Owen, now wearing boxer shorts, walking slowly towards the kitchen.

"Erm, yeah, sure. I'll see you in half an hour," she said distractedly. Without even saying goodbye, she closed her phone and got up to follow Owen. He was leaning his head against the fridge while he waited for the pot of coffee he'd just started to be ready.

"That was Jack," Tosh said from the doorway. "He needs me to go in." Owen didn't reply. She hadn't expected him to. "Look Owen, we need to talk about what happened last night…" Owen turned to face her, his eyes squinting in the sunlight pouring through the kitchen windows.

"What is there to talk about? Unless you can actually remember what happened, which I doubt, there's nothing to be said." He sounded irritable. Tosh knew what he was like after a heavy night, but she'd never seen him this bad. His mood must improve as the day went on, she supposed.

"Right then," she said shortly. "I'll be off then. I'll call you when I remember. Or you ring me. Whichever. But this can't just go by. We need to talk. I'm not just another in your harem of one-night-stands. You're going to have to see me everyday. And until we talk it out, it will be awkward. Even more awkward than this is now."

Tosh stormed away from the kitchen with as much dignity as she could muster considering she was still wearing Owen's T-shirt.


	4. Chapter 4: Remembering

"Toshiko Sato!" Jack's voice was teasing. "What's this I see? Unbrushed hair? Yesterday's clothes? Looks like _somebody_ got lucky last night!" He winked at her as she set down her bag on her desk.

"Just…leave it, OK Jack? Not now." She turned to her computers.

"Sor-ry!" Jack held his hands in the air and retreated into his office. Ianto followed him in and handed him a cup of coffee.

"She looks a bit tired, sir. Wait until she's woken up a bit and then try again." Jack nodded and sipped his coffee.

"Mmm, that is perfect. If there's one thing you do well, it's make coffee."

"Last night there were many things I did that you seemed to enjoy more than my coffee," Ianto smiled and left the office. Jack's eyes followed him, marvelling as he often did at how perfectly Ianto's suit fitted his body…

Around half past eleven, after her seventh cup of coffee, things started coming back to Tosh. Things about last night. Tosh blushed as she gradually remembered Owen…Owen and the things he could do. Ianto looked over at her.

"Tosh? Are you OK? You look a bit flushed."

"I'm fine," Tosh found that she was a little short of breath. "Erm, tell Jack I'm taking a break. I need some air." And with that, she fled from the Hub.

As soon as he stepped outside, a text flashed up on the display of her phone. It was from Owen: Meet me by the water tower in ten. We need to talk.

He'd obviously started to remember as well.


	5. Chapter 5: A Decision Is Reached

Next chapter...please R&R.

To be honest, I'm not whole-heartedly pleased with this chapter...I don't know why. I just don't think it's one of my best. I don't I've quite continued the right sort of characterisation for Owen...ahh well. Tell me what you think.

* * *

Tosh and Owen were sat in a café by the Bay. Tosh could see that Owen looked as bad as she felt; wearing yesterday's clothes, bloodshot eyes surrounded by dark circles staring blearily out of a pale face. Owen was nursing his hangover by consuming copious amounts of black coffee, although every mouthful made him shudder. Tosh's head felt clearer which meant that memories of last night were now flooding back, thick and fast.

"So…" she said timidly, breaking the long silence. Owen drained his fifth cup of coffee.

"So…" he echoed her, his voice still a little hoarse.

"I, erm…I suppose we should have a talk about what happened last night," Tosh suggested hesitantly. Owen nodded. He's spent all morning mulling it over, and now that he could remember things it was easier to make a judgement. He looked at Tosh. He saw her in a completely different light now. She was no longer his uptight, anal-retentive, sort-of-attractive-if-you-looked-closely, techie work colleague of three years. He would never see her in that way again. Memories of her getting annoyed with him for not taking things seriously, or for spilling coffee on her carefully compiled data sheets would forever be disturbed by memories of the smoothness of her skin as he ran his hands down her back or the way her breath hitched in her throat as he kissed her thighs. Owen had never imagined that he would see Tosh in this way. But he had to be realistic. He was Dr Owen Harper of Torchwood. He was infamous throughout Cardiff for his one-night-stands and he had a reputation to uphold. This thing with Tosh hadn't been planned at all, but if it had, he would never have wanted it to go on for more than one night…

Tosh cleared her throat nervously. She opened her mouth to say something. So did Owen.

"You…" he said. At exactly the same moment, she said "We…" They looked at each other and giggled feebly.

"You start," Owen said, slightly flustered. Tosh took a deep breath.

"Last night, as far as I can remember, was pretty amazing. But we need to remember that we have a professional relationship to maintain and that needs to be given careful consideration." She decided that she'd done quite well. She'd managed to state the facts, leaving any decision making up to Owen. It was impossible to tell what he was thinking and she didn't want to risk looking like a fool.

"You're right, last night was fantastic. But we have to work together and we can't risk that by beginning a serious relationship. What happens when it stops working? It'd just be too awkward. I think we should just write last night off as a drunken mistake. Is that OK?" Owen gave Tosh a smile that was meant to be reassuring. Tosh tried to smile back. She could hardly tell him that no, it was not at all OK. To Owen it was a drunken fling, something to be forgotten as soon as it was fully remembered. To Tosh it was so much more. The realisation of years of fruitless longing. She's thought that at last it was going to happen. She's thought that last night had meant something. It had to her. Surely he couldn't have kissed her so passionately and done so many things with such lustful conviction if he had no feelings for her?

But apparently, he could. Owen confirmed all her worst fears by turning back to her from eyeing up the pretty blonde waitress to say casually, "Sorry Tosh, you're just not my type."

"I've, erm, got to get back to work. I told Ianto I'd only be gone a few minutes and it's been nearly an hour. It was great to have this chat Owen. I'll see you later," Tosh gabbled as she gathered her things. As soon as she'd finished speaking, she was heading for the door. As he watched her leave, Owen pondered why it was that, despite what he said, Tosh was starting to look more and more like 'his type' by the minute…


	6. Chapter 6: Owen Does Some Thinking

Tosh entered the Hub in a hurry. As she put her bag down, Ianto walked out of Jack's office looking flustered and surreptitiously zipping up his fly.

"Aah Tosh, you're back! We were starting to worry! Coffee?" he said cheerily. Tosh shook her head. She'd had enough caffeine to last her a lifetime…or at least until about 3 o'clock. Taking a deep breath, Tosh did what she always did when she felt there was nowhere else she could turn: she threw herself into her work.

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Owen was lying on his bed, fully dressed. His head was throbbing and he knew he should probably try and sleep it off. But every time he closed his eyes, all he could think about Tosh. Eventually, he stopped trying to think of other things and let his mind drift off, allowing him to remember every little thing about her.

After nearly a full hour and a half, Owen sat up, an idea fixed in his head. It went against everything he stood for and broke every rule he'd set for himself, but it had to be done. He found his phone and began quickly forming a text.

Tosh's phone bleeped. She was determined to ignore it, and managed for all of about twelve seconds. When she the sender's name, her heart skipped a beat. Part of her wanted to delete the message without reading it. Owen had hurt her enough for one day. But the other part of her convinced her to at least see what he had to say.

'I've been thinking. Can you leave work again? I'll pick you up outside in fifteen minutes.'

Tosh sighed. The two parts of her were having another ferocious internal battle. After nearly ten minutes of agonising, the battle was won.

"Ianto, I'm just popping out again. I won't be long this time, I promise," Tosh said, standing up. Ianto looked up.

"I'm not sure…you might have to ask Jack…"

"I don't have the time. I'll talk to Jack later," she said hurriedly and left the Hub. Ianto rolled his eyes, but walked over to Jack's office with a mischievous smile.

"Sir, Tosh's wandered off again…" he said sticking his head around the door. Jack looked up and grinned his heart-melting grin. Ianto went a little weak at the knees.

"I'll deal with her later…but it's your turn first," Jack said, walking over to the door and seizing Ianto by his tie.


	7. Chapter 7: Owen Has Made A Decision

Tosh and Owen were sat in Owen's car looking out over the Bay. There was a slightly awkward silence and Tosh was getting more and more nervous. Finally, Owen turned to her.

"Tosh…I've been thinking," he said in a voice that Tosh had never heard him use before. She swallowed. "You know that earlier we said that we had to draw a line under last night and carry on in a professional way? Well, to be honest…I don't think I can." He leaned over and took her hand. "You see, since this morning, you're all I can think about. I'm seeing you in a completely different way. I know there are a million reasons why we wouldn't work and that's why I'm not suggesting we get into a really serious and exclusive relationship. But I think we should be friends, yeah?"

Tosh's head was still reeling from being in Owen's car, the intoxicating small of his expensive aftershave all around her. And here he was, telling her that he couldn't stop thinking about her. It was like a dream come true. His last sentence has thrown her a bit. Friends? Wasn't that what they were already? Oh God, he didn't even consider her to be a _friend_ until they slept together? Tosh sighed and rubbed her temples with the hand not held by Owen.

"Yeah, sure, friends. You can never have too many friends," she said, trying to hide her disappointment. "Now do you think you could get me back to the Hub? I've still got a pile of stuff to do and –" Owen cut her off by laying a finger in her lips.

"I hadn't finished. We'll be friends, yeah? But friends with…benefits?" he looked at her expectantly. Tosh was even more confused now.

"What? I don't understand. Benefits? Like what?"

"Benefits like this…" Owen said. Then he leaned in and kissed her ever so gently on the lips. It was like nothing Tosh had experienced before, and something she was surprised that Owen was capable of. He always seemed so rough. After a few seconds, they broke apart. Owen was looked anxiously at Tosh. This was the first time he's really out himself out there like this in years and he was terrified of rejection.

Tosh's expression was unreadable for a while, but then her face softened into a smile.

"Yeah, I think I can live with that."

Owen sighed with relief and pulled her close for another mind-numbingly beautiful kiss.

_At least_, Tosh thought, _part-time Owen was better that no Owen at all…right?_


	8. Chapter 8: Ground Rules

Sorry about the delay. Revision and coursework take up more time that you'd anticipate this close to exams. And I'm sorry the chapters aren't a bit longer yet. The next few are ones that I've had written for a while, I just needed to find the time to type them up and get them uploaded. So here it is...enjoy.

* * *

"We need to sort out some ground-rules," Tosh said as she came into Owen's bedroom carrying a bottle of wine and two mugs. She set them down next to the bed. "I couldn't find any clean glasses so these will have to do." Owen smiled at her and grabbed her waist, pulling her on top of him. Tosh giggled and kissed his nose. It was three days since their decision in the car and it seemed to be working out pretty well. The two of them went to work, they laughed and joked with the others as usual. They deliberately kept their distance, and Owen was still off-hand and scathing when Tosh talked to him. After work, the team went their separate ways. Owen drove home as usual, and Tosh went to get the bus. Rather than going back to her own flat, however, she changed buses and ended up at Owen's. No one at Torchwood, not even Jack, suspected a thing.

"Ground-rules?" Owen asked as he poured wine into a mug and handed it to Tosh.

"Yeah, I mean how is this going to work? Do we tell people, or do we carry on sneaking around behind their backs? Will we always come back to your place? It's not like we can go on proper dates; we're not a proper couple. And what about when one of us gets it together properly? Will we stop? There's so much to think about!" Tosh said, sipping her wine.

"You worry too much," Owen said. He kissed her bare shoulder. "If we tell people, they'll all have opinions and they won't be too polite to voice them. We can do without that. We don't always have to come back here, we can go to your flat sometimes. And _if_ one of us gets it together properly, we'll reassess the situation. We'll cross that bridge when we come to it," Owen looked at her. "You do know that this isn't serious, don't you? And that it won't stop me flirting? I'm still free to pull anyone I want. As are you."

Tosh nodded.

"I know," she said. She couldn't say she was happy about the situation but she could get used to it. She was spending more time with Owen that she ever had before, so she shouldn't complain. But she would've been happier if she could've had more commitment from him. But a committed Owen wasn't the one she fell for. It was a crass, offensive, conceited Owen who had captured her heart.

"Now stop all this serious talk and drink your wine, you," Owen said smiling. Tosh smiled back and drained her mug. It surprised her how happy she could actually be, sitting up in Owen's bed wearing only her bra and his boxers, drinking wine from a chipped mug.

But a niggling part of her brain kept asking the same question: how long can it last?


	9. Chapter 9: Jack

A short chapter (yes, even shorter than my normal ones) which deviates from the narrative. I don't know, I guess I got stuck for ideas so I decided to take a little break from the Tosh/Owen story to focus more on Jack. Enjoy! Constructive criticism is always appreciated and I reply to most comments.

* * *

Jack and Ianto were lying side by side in bed. It was the first time they'd been back to Ianto's flat in weeks and it felt good to have a proper bed for once. The digital clock on the table told Jack that it was 02:47. For some reason, Jack couldn't sleep. Although his stamina was always much higher than Ianto's, he had to admit that last night's performance had worn him out. Then why was he still awake? Ianto had no problem sleeping. Jack lifted himself onto one elbow to look at his Welsh lover. It always struck him how peaceful Ianto looked in his sleep, considering how hectic his everyday life was. This calmness made him look even more beautiful.

Jack always prided himself on not being overly sentimental but the way the moonlight poured over Ianto's perfect face made his heart skip a beat.

Jack lay back, staring at the ceiling. He still couldn't work out what was unsettling him. It must be something at work, it always was. They'd had a quiet few days but that wasn't abnormal.

He couldn't see many differences in the team either. Gwen was still Gwen; inquisitive bordering on nosy, painfully cheerful at times, not afraid of her own emotions, altogether the most human on the team. Owen was still Owen; insufferably intelligent, making sarcastic and cutting comments, never showing the highly vulnerable man lurking just behind the arrogant mask he showed the world. Tosh was still the same reserved and careful Tosh, although she seemed happier recently, yet even more on-edge than normal. And Ianto was still Ianto; brave, clever, worthy of much more than his office-boy status, keeping a professional detachment around the rest of the team, so much so that Jack sometimes found himself doubting his abilities to keep the young man interested. But all he needed was one night like that one they'd just shared to be completely self-assured again.

Jack curled up close to Ianto, sliding his arms around his employee's waist. Whatever it was keeping him awake, he was determined to fight it. Even those of use who are gorgeous and immortal need their beauty sleep.


	10. Chapter 10: A Quiet Few Weeks

This chapter's a little longer, but I still can't seem to write decent length chapters. Normally, I would've split this one into about three...but that would be ridiculous, when they all fit quite nicely here.

Thanks to GossipGirl17 for helping me with a couple of ideas, as I got a bit stuck.

* * *

The days passed, turning themselves into week. Other than some rogue Weevils and a bit of unusual Rift activity around a local Burger King, the Torchwood team had had it pretty easy. Even Ianto, usually stressed by an ever-mounting backlog of paperwork, found himself with nothing to do. He was shocked one wet Tuesday morning to find that he had completed all his filing. Suddenly, he had nothing to do with his time. Secretarial jobs were his filler tasks, the stuff he occupied himself with between fieldwork and making coffee. Bu there'd been so little fieldwork lately and the coffee machine had blown a fuse again, so the team were taking it in turns to nip out to the local Starbucks. All the spare time meant that Ianto had filed away every case from the last two years, filled in every archive form and even had time to tidy his desk. He had organised all his stationery into categories of type (pens, pencils, etc), and subdivided the 'pens' group into biros, ballpoint pens, roller balls and markers. He then laid everything out in descending order of size.

Jack watched this with amusement. He knew that Ianto was meticulous in every aspect of his life - why, he had first-hand experience. It was practically OCD at times, and this was something that Jack found strangely endearing. There's nothing quite like falling asleep, knowing that when you wake up your clothes will be neatly folded rather than littering the floor and difficult to find in a hurry. However, he had never seen Ianto being the Stationery Police before. It was like watching a small child organising his stuffed toys. Jack smiled to himself as he returned to his desk, making a mental note to gently chastise Ianto for it later.

Gwen looked at the clock. She'd been glancing at it every two minutes for the past hour and a half, and only now did it show what she wanted to see. She got to her feet and grabbed her bag.

"It's 5 o'clock, we have done exactly no work for the past nine hours and I need a drink. Actually, several drinks. Who's with me?"

Ianto looked up from the Sudoku puzzle he'd been struggling with. "Count me in."

Owen closed down his computer, hastily wiping his Internet history and getting awkwardly to his feet. "First sensible thing I've heard all day."

Tosh tossed down her Rubik's cube. She could solve it in under a minute no matter how badly it was messed up. Ianto had even peeled off some of the stickers and switched them round; the completed cube had been sitting annoyingly on Tosh's desk 42 seconds later. "I'm game for it."

Jack emerged from his office. "Did someone say 'several drinks'? I'm there."

Ten minutes later, the team were settling themselves at a table while Gwen went to the bar for the first round. As Tosh slipped her jacket off her shoulders, she could feel Owen's eyes on her.

Since they'd been unofficially sleeping together – 'friends with benefits' or as Owen said before Tosh strongly objected, 'fuck buddies' – Tosh had started to take more pride in her appearance. She never bought anything too expensive as there was the distinct possibility of it getting ripped, either in a tussle with a Weevil or by Owen in the heat of the moment. The top she was wearing today was much more low-cut than she's realised at first. It had taken a little getting used to, but Tosh was determined to persevere with her new look.

"Toshiko, you're looking very nice. New shirt? I can see that you've turned a few heads already," Jack commented as Gwen returned. Sure enough, when Tosh looked around, there were at least two guys looking over at her.

"Don't be silly Jack. They're not looking at me," Tosh blushed. Gwen sat down next to her and smiled as she handed Tosh her drink.

"I beg to differ. See that bloke at the bar? Dark hair, blue shirt?" Tosh glanced up and saw a handsome man gazing over at her. "He asked me about you. He said, "Who's your gorgeous mate?" and – no offence – I really don't think he meant Jack, Ianto or Owen."

Tosh looked up at the man again, then glanced at Owen who was doing his best to look completely disinterested.

"Even if he did mean me, I'm sure nothing will come of it," she said, taking a gulp of her wine.

"It won't if you just sit there," Jack told her, lifting his glass of water to his lips. "Next round's on you."


	11. Chapter 11: Is Owen Getting Jealous?

Sorry guys, another short one. Just a little insight into the mind of Owen Harper.

Reviews and constructive criticism are always welcome.

* * *

Owen watched as Tosh went up to the bar. When he saw her talking to dark-hair-blue-shirt guy, he felt a twinge of…what? Jealously? No, it couldn't be. He was Dr Owen Harper; obnoxiously over-confident, hedonistic and fearless. He could have any bird he wanted. His gaze swept the room, seeking out tonight's conquest. But every time he looked around, he ended up staring over at Tosh. There was just something about the way the lights played off her hair, and that tight, low-cut top…

Owen shook his head. He refused to go down this path. There was no way he was going to get so hung up on one person. In his experience, when he gave one girl any kind of commitment, one of them ended up getting hurt. And it wasn't going to be him. Not again, not this time, not ever.

He needed another drink.

"What is taking her so bloody long?" Owen grumbled impatiently. Gwen looked surprised.

"Chill, Owen. She's just having a harmless flirt and then she'll be back with the drinks," Gwen laid a hand on Owen's arm. Owen snatched his arm away. "Do you really begrudge Tosh a bit of fun, just because you're hell-bent on a mission to destroy your liver?"

Owen opened his mouth to retaliate, but one more glance at Tosh made him realise that if he said any more, he risked revealing their secret. He closed his mouth and began toying with a beer mat, eyes fixed on his own hands.


	12. Chapter 12: Owen Deals With Some Stuff

Sorry it's taken so long for this update. I've had exams and stuff...but they're done and I'm back, so prepare yourself for some Torchwood magic.

Or y'know... just my brain rambling away...

Either way, I hope you enjoy it!

* * *

The next day, Owen was on-edge waiting for Tosh to arrive at work. He'd gone home before the rest of the team last night. He just couldn't sit there and watch Tosh and Mr Dark-Hair-Blue-Shirt shooting each other 'come hither' glances across the crowded bar. He made some excuse about a migraine and when he reached his flat, he proceeded to drink cheap lager until he stopped caring enough to sleep.

He was horribly hungover as he stumbled into the Hub, but that wasn't what was bothering him.

"Hey Owen, migraine better?" Ianto asked.

"Don't talk. Coffee," Owen grunted. Ianto grinned and handed Owen a paper cup.

"You're lucky. Gwen just did the Starbucks run. Is there anything else I can get you? Aspirin? Glass of water?" Owen shook his head groggily and went to walk away. Then he turned back.

"Actually, two things. One: stop being cheerful this early in the morning. And b…yeah, stop being cheerful…" he trailed off weakly and collapsed into his desk chair. Ianto grinned again. It wasn't that he actively enjoyed seeing Owen in pain, but it could often serve to brighten his day just a little bit. He turned back to his pristine desk, whistling.

"Stop. Whistling. Now." Owen's voice was muffled. Ianto looked over his shoulder and saw that his colleague's head was resting face down on a stack of paperwork.

Tosh waltzed her way into the Hub twenty minutes after Owen had drained his coffee cup. He should've been sorting through his back catalogue of autopsy reports, but instead he was sat staring into his empty coffee cup, willing it to refill itself. He only looked up when he thought he heard Tosh coming in. After twelve false alarms, here she was. Owen tried to gaze at her in a discreet fashion, but his bleary mind meant that he could only manage outright staring. He decided his reputation was safer if he just didn't look at her, though this was much easier said than done.

Tosh breezed cheerily over to Ianto, dumping her bag as she passed her desk. She said a casual hello to Gwen and then Owen, studiously avoiding looking at him. He returned the favour.

"Here you go Tosh," Ianto handed her a paper coffee cup. "Good night?"

Tosh grinned widely, but had the courtesy to blush a little. "Yes thanks, Ianto."

"From the way your new friend was practically salivating over you just before you left, I don't suppose you got a whole lot of sleep…" Gwen chuckled. Tosh flushed an even deeper red.

"Maybe I did, maybe I didn't," she giggled coyly.

"To be honest, I'm surprised you've arrived in one piece at all. He looked positively carnivorous," Ianto laughed.

"Well…yeah, I suppose…yeah…" Tosh was blushing so much, she had lost the ability to form a coherent sentence. All the blood from her brain had migrated to her cheeks.

Owen listened to this exchange in shock so severe it almost cleared his hangover. Tosh had pulled? His Tosh…he scalded himself as soon as he thought that…okay, not _his_ Tosh, but Tosh? Tosh had actually pulled? And by the sounds of it, a lot more besides.

As Owen raised his head slightly to watch Tosh glide to her desk, he felt a pang in his chest. She looked so happy, radiantly so. Thinking back, he realised that he had never made her look so happy. After spending time with him, she always looked nervous and slightly sad…

This realisation hurt Owen more than he felt it should. She was just a woman. Just another woman. Another body.

He felt bad reducing Tosh to that. She was so much more than just a body. But the only way he could cope with the way he felt was to attempt to lose all his respect for Tosh.


	13. Chapter 13: Owen Has A Plan

You guys are going to be mad at me. I was mad at myself when I realised.

Despite not updating this in nearly year (which is completely unacceptable already) when I found the notebook that I do all my first drafts in, I realised that I've had an entire chapter written for God knows how long.

I'm so sorry! Here is this chapter...not great, but it's something...right?

* * *

That evening, as everyone began packing up for the day, Tosh's phone bleeped. Owen's gaze remained firmly on the surgical instruments he was outing away. Turns out being elbow-deep in slimy alien corpse helped you forget everything else that was going on. But the grey scaly thing had been cleared away once Owen had confirmed that there wasn't anything new or exciting in its genetic makeup, and now his mind was left to its own devices. He intended to keep his head down and get out of the Hub as quickly as possible, but he couldn't but overhear Gwen and Tosh's conversation.

"Tosh, that is filthy! Ianto, come and see what lover boy's been texting to our little Toshiko!"

There was brief silence as Ianto read the message, broken only be Tosh's futile attempts to regain control of her phone. Ianto gave a little shocked laugh, and Gwen broke into peals of laughter at the expression on his face.

"I wish Rhys was still that impulsive! Hell, I wish Rhys had _ever_ been that impulsive! Ianto, have you ever heard the like?"

Ianto's hesitation set Gwen off again.

"Ianto Jones, you dark horse! What do you and Jack get up to then? It's always the quiet ones, eh?" It was Ianto's turn to steadily redden until he resembled a tomato in a suit.

As Owen left the Hub silently, he realised a horrific fact. He, Owen Harper, _he_, serial heart-breaker, compulsive one-night-stand, well-know lothario, had the least eventful sex life of the whole team. Or at least, the least active. He couldn't imagine Rhys was exactly spontaneous. Still, he managed to keep Gwen interested, somehow.

_Right_, thought Owen._ Tonight, I'm going to get plastered and I'm going to pull. No question about it, that's the plan._

By eleven, the plan was halfway there. Owen had found a grotty little bar serving ridiculously cheap drinks and could practically feel the alcohol poisoning his internal organs when he was approached by a goddess. It came as a surprise that a woman so stunning and classy would be in a dive like this. Owen hadn't had high hopes for tonight and definitely not high standards. He'd learned that cheap booze always went hand-in-hand with cheap birds. But he'd spotted her the moment she'd walked in, strutting confidently to the bar. She walked in a way that showed that she was completely comfortable with herself and able to look totally gorgeous with hardly any effort. She shone like a beacon of beauty in this sickeningly tacky world of neon signs and orange women. Any girls he'd had his eye on so far tonight paled in comparison. Even Tosh seemed to be a distant memory.

"Hi," she said, loud enough to be heard over the god-awful music. Owen shook himself and realised that he must've been staring like a fool.

"Hi," he replied. He tried to think of something smooth to say, but he was too drunk. Also, this woman was far too good for some cringe-worthy 'line' or thinly disguised innuendo.

"So…what's your name then?" she asked when Owen didn't offer any more conversation.

"Owen Harper…_Doctor_ Owen Harper, actually," he said, shaking her hand. Even in his hideously inebriated state, he couldn't resist that little flourish. "And you are?"

"So Doctor, aren't you going to buy me a drink?" She leant towards him, giving him an eyeful of cleavage and placing her hand on his knee.

Owen was too drunk and mesmerised to notice her casual evasion of his question.


	14. Chapter 14: Good Morning Sunshine

I'm so irritated with myself...yet another chapter I already had written. I'm going to try and get back into updating this more regularly, but I have exams and deadlines and stuff...I hate A-levels.

Also, I've worked out why all my chapters are so short. It's because I write them all by hand first and they take up a lot more space when they're hand-written. For example, this chapter was two full sides of A4 lined paper. Once it's typed, it's a lot shorter. So much so that I thought I'd missed some out when I was typing. I didn't. It's just short. Sorry.

Anyway, here it is.

* * *

Tosh felt strange. She had done for a while now. As she lay in bed, staring at the ceiling, she tried to work it out. Nothing made itself instantly apparent. A soft exhalation of breath from beside her made her turn her head. In the greyish light of early morning, she contemplated his face. Smooth pale skin, beautiful green eyes framed by long dark lashes (currently closed in a peaceful sleep), perfectly straight nose, full lips…there was no doubt about it, he was gorgeous. A little smile played around her lips as she pushed his dark hair away from his forehead – and that was when it struck her.

She, Toshiko Sato, was happy.

The revelation shook her a little. She couldn't remember a time when she could honestly say that she'd been happy. Not really as a child, _definitely_ not through her teenage years…she mentally scanned her entire life. Nope, this feeling was pretty much new. She'd certainly never felt this way with Owen. She'd always felt a little apprehensive and ill-at-ease. She wouldn't let herself get too comfortable because she knew how easily he could take it all away from her.

But lying here, she felt happy.

He opened his eyes and smiled sleepily at her.

"Morning, beautiful." He brought her hand up to his lips and kissed it. "Watching me sleep again?"

"I didn't wake you, did I?"

"No," he murmured, wrapping his arms around her and drawing her closer. "And anyway, you know I'd much rather be awake with you."

_Yep_, thought Tosh. _Definitely happy._

* * *

Morning in the Harper household wasn't nearly so pleasant.

Owen woke at six a.m. to find his bed empty and note written in eyeliner across the mirror: 'Same time, same place. See you tonight x'. In all of his years of womanising, Owen had read many messages of varying sentiments written on many mirrors in a variety of mediums. But none had ever made him feel…used before. _This is all wrong,_ he thought. She's_ meant to feel used, not me._

Even in his drunken stupor of the night before, he'd been right. She was a goddess. She was amazing. Amazing was an under-statement. The fact that he could remember it at all was a testament to just how amazing it had been. Owen had thought he had moves. Now _she_ had moves. Just thinking about it was…

"No," Owen said out loud. As much fun as it would be to sit at home and replay every second of her in his head all day, he had work to do. The purpose of last night was to get him over Tosh. It was time to see if it had worked.


	15. Chapter 15: Finally, Some Action

Yay, more story! And it hasn't been six months! Go me!

Some of the more discerning among you may notice something at the end that possibly negates the period within the show that I have set this story. Before I get reviews telling me that I've got myself mixed up...I haven't. It's just a little artistic license.

Also, this chapter is the longest I have ever written...it's basically twice the length of my usual ones. Probably best not to get used to that.

Hope you enjoy it. Constructive criticism is always helpful. Flattery and praise are always welcome :D

* * *

As he strolled along the Bay towards the Hub's visitors' entrance, Owen was cheerier than he had been in a while. _Who needs Tosh?_ he thought. _I damn sure don't need her. I've got…_ His train of thought was brought to a sudden halt at the sight of Tosh getting out of a car. The door was being held open by him – Mr Dark-Hair-Blue-Shirt. Except today he was wearing a white shirt. There was a radiant smile on Tosh's face as she pulled him close for a goodbye kiss. Owen's stomach flipped over as he watched, and then he realised that he was staring openly at a canoodling couple. He knew that this was definitely not what most people considered socially acceptable, especially this early in the morning. He bent his head, thrust his hands deep into his pockets and sped up. He had just made it to the door when he heard heels chasing him and he was forced to rearrange his features into an expression he hoped conveyed cheerful indifference. He hadn't expected it to be quite so much of a blow. But as Tosh caught up with him and laid a hand on his shoulder, there was no way she could recognise his inner turmoil.

"Morning, Tosh!"

She looked a little taken aback by his bright tone he noticed, smirking inwardly. Take that.

"Morning, Owen. Good night?" She recovered herself and breezed past him, smiling at Ianto who was sitting behind the counter sorting leaflets into piles and who greeted her with a nod and a Starbucks cup.

"Yeah, it was great thanks." Owen inclined his head at Ianto and accepted the coffee he was being offered.

"I'm glad to hear to it. Get up to anything special?" Tosh peered at him over the rim of her cup and spoke between blowing through the little hole in the lid. Owen tried not to focus on her pursed lips.

"I had a date actually. Amazing woman I've been out with a few times – witty, intelligent, absolutely stunning. I've got no complaints." There's nothing quite like embellishing the truth to get back at someone who moves on faster than you do. Owen didn't realise was that he was usually on the receiving end of the embellished truth and in his own mind, was convinced that he was the first person to have thought of this genius idea. Tosh merely smiled.

"She sounds lovely." Her voice betrayed no emotion – no anger, no jealously – only bland curiosity. "What's her name?"

Their conversation was cut short by Jack calling to them from the Boardroom.

"In here. Now. It looks like we finally have some action."

Owen rolled his eyes, but he was secretly relieved. The more he thought about it, the more uncomfortable he felt about last night. Not uncomfortable in a 'these-jeans-feel-tighter-than-before' way (although that too)…but uncomfortable in an 'I-don't-even-know-her-name' way. It had never been a problem for him before, but it bothered him now. They'd spent one amazing night, they had a second date planned if you could call it that, and, as far as Tosh knew, they were in some kind of committed relationship. But she hadn't even told him her name. He desperately searched his memory – nope…no name, no number, no forwarding address. The horrible used feeling of that morning came flooding back. Fortunately his mind was distracted by Jack slamming a heavy metal box onto the conference table of the Boardroom.

"Who can tell me what this is?" he asked, stepping back and planting his hands on his hips. He looked very pleased with himself as he surveyed the blank faces in front of him. "Anyone?"

"It's a…box."

"Well done Gwen. Anyone else?"

"A big…metal…box."

"Yep, very good Tosh. Owen?"

"I think they've said everything there is to say. It's a big metal box."

Jack rolled his eyes. "You guys have so little imagination, you know that? Sometimes I wonder why I hired you."

"Okay Harkness, tell us what's so special about this particular big metal box," Gwen demanded in her best sardonic, 'don't-mess-with-me-I'm-a-policewoman' tone. At that moment, Ianto walked into the room and caught Gwen's comment.

"If I can hazard a guess, I'd say that this was an _alien_ big metal box," he suggested gently, taking the empty seat next to Tosh. Jack's face broke into a dazzling grin.

"Exactly right! Why can't the rest of you be more like Ianto?"

Owen, Gwen and Tosh stared at him in shock. Then, all at once, they erupted.

"That was_ it_? This is Torchwood! I assumed alien was a given!" Tosh exclaimed.

"If we were all more like Ianto, I doubt you'd let us get any work done and Cardiff would've fallen into the Rift by now," Gwen scoffed.

"Teacher's pet!" Owen muttered and threw the biro he'd been chewing across the table at Ianto.

"Calm down children!" Jack shouted over their complaints. The three of them settled into a grudging silence. "That's better."

Gwen was the first to speak.

"Okay, so what else do we know about this alien big metal box?" She leaned forward to get a closer look.

"Nothing actually. Tosh, that's your job; I want origins, I want purposes, I want reasons for it being here. Get on it. The rest of us are going to investigate what was probably a Weevil attack." He strode towards the door, then looked back when he realised that no one else was moving. "Come on guys, at least try and get pumped about this. It's the most we've had to do in weeks!"

"I know Jack, but it's not quite as exciting as sex aliens and cannibals and – no offence, Ianto – a Cyberwoman wandering around the Hub. You can't expect us to get all psyched up for a routine Weevil clean-up," Gwen sighed, sliding her arms into the leather jacket she had slung over her chair.

"You people are never happy! Next time we're protecting the world from some huge, out-of-control predator and you're praying for a Weevil clean-up, you remember this conversation!" Jack snapped and stalked away. The team exchanged glances.

"I think it's _somebody's_ time of the month," Owen quipped, draining his coffee cup and tossing it expertly into the bin. "Ianto, why don't you run ahead and soften him up a little before the claws come out the next time one of us breathes?"

Ianto wanted to make a sarcastic comment, but Jack had been acting weird for a few days now and he was started to worry that it could be something serious. As he hurried off after the Captain, he contemplated breaking out Jack's Christmas present early. Ianto had managed to talk Martha into getting him that UNIT cap and he'd been planning to save it for a special occasion, but it looked like some cheering up was very much in order…


End file.
